September 8, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to establish a national wildlife refuge and conservation area in Polk, Osceola, Highlands, and Okeechobee Counties, in central and south Florida. A draft Land Protection Plan (LPP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the establishment of the proposed refuge and conservation area were prepared with input from Federal, State, and local agencies; Native American tribal nations; various non- governmental organizations; and the public. The EA considers the biological, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of establishment of the refuge and conservation area and evaluates alternatives. The LPP describes the alternative we propose for the establishment of the refuge and conservation area.

FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that has been prepared for the California High-Speed Train (HST) Project Fresno to Bakersfield Section (Project) has been extended and shall now end on October 13, 2011. This decision was made by the Authority and FRA in response to requests for an extension of the comment period. FRA is the lead federal agency and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is the lead state agency for the environmental review process. The Authority plans to construct and operate a fully grade- separated, dedicated double-track, electric powered, passenger rail, high-speed railroad along a 114-mile corridor between Fresno and Bakersfield, CA. The Project includes stations in downtown Fresno and Bakersfield, and a possible Kings/Tulare Regional Station east of Hanford, CA. A heavy maintenance facility for assembly, testing, and commissioning of trains, train inspection and service, and train overhaul may be constructed in the Fresno to Bakersfield Section. The Draft EIR/EIS presents the Project's purpose and need, identifies all reasonable alternatives including track alignments, stations, and heavy maintenance facilities as well as the no action alternative, describes the affected environment, analyzes the potential environmental impacts of all the reasonable alternatives and the no action alternative, and identifies appropriate mitigation measures to minimize the potential environmental impacts.

FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that has been prepared for the California High-Speed Train (HST) Project Merced to Fresno Section (Project) has been extended and shall now end on October 13, 2011. This decision was made by the Authority and FRA in response to requests for extension of the comment period. FRA is the lead federal agency and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is the lead state agency for the environmental review process. The Authority proposes to construct and operate a reliable high- speed electric-powered passenger train system along an approximately 65-mile corridor, from Merced, CA, to Fresno, CA that links those cities by delivering predictable and consistent travel times. The Project includes high-speed track alignments, stations in downtown Merced and Fresno. A heavy maintenance facility for assembly, testing, and commissioning of trains, train inspection and service, and train overhaul may be constructed in the Merced to Fresno Section. The Draft EIR/EIS presents the Project's purpose and need, identifies all reasonable alternatives including track alignments, stations, and heavy maintenance facilities as well as the no action alternative, describes the affected environment, analyzes the potential environmental impacts of all the reasonable alternatives and the no action alternative, and identifies appropriate mitigation measures to minimize the potential environmental impacts.

On March 4, 2011, FRA published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require certain railroads to develop a system for telephonic notification of unsafe conditions at highway-rail and pathway grade crossings. FRA is announcing a public hearing to provide interested persons an opportunity to provide comments on the proposal and to discuss further development of the regulation. The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 requires the development and implementation of these telephonic notification systems.

The Department of Education (the Department), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Pursuant to Section 10 (a), Public Law 92-463, as amended, notice is hereby given of a forthcoming meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS). The purpose of the meeting is for the Committee to receive a follow-up briefing from the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office and the Services on the Committee's requests for information concerning sexual assault and sexual harassment. Additionally, the Committee will develop and approve recommendations for the 2011 report. The meeting is open to the public, subject to the availability of space. Interested persons may submit a written statement for consideration by the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Individuals submitting a written statement must submit their statement to the Point of Contact listed below at the address detailed below no later than 5 p.m., Tuesday, September 20, 2011. If a written statement is not received by Tuesday, September 20, 2011, prior to the meeting, which is the subject of this notice, then it may not be provided to or considered by the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services until its next open meeting. The Designated Federal Officer will review all timely submissions with the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services Chairperson and ensure they are provided to the members of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. If members of the public are interested in making an oral statement, a written statement should be submitted as above. After reviewing the written comments, the Chairperson and the Designated Federal Officer will determine who of the requesting persons will be able to make an oral presentation of their issue during an open portion of this meeting or at a future meeting. Determination of who will be making an oral presentation is at the sole discretion of the Committee Chair and the Designated Federal Officer and will depend on time available and if the topics are relevant to the Committee's activities. Two minutes will be allotted to persons desiring to make an oral presentation. Oral presentations by members of the public will be permitted only on Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 4:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. in front of the full Committee. Number of oral presentations to be made will depend on the number of requests received from members of the public.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the C season allowance of the 2011 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 620 in the GOA.

The Coast Guard is establishing safety zones for marine events within the Captain of the Port (COTP) Long Island Sound Zone for a surfing event and fireworks displays. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the events. Entry into, transit through, mooring or anchoring within this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP Sector Long Island Sound.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list Arctostaphylos franciscana (Franciscan manzanita), as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and to designate critical habitat. After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing A. franciscana as an endangered species under the Act is warranted. Accordingly, we herein propose to list A. franciscana as an endangered species pursuant to the Act. This proposed rule, if made final, would extend the Act's protections to this species. We believe that critical habitat is not determinable at this time due to lack of knowledge of what physical and biological features are essential to the conservation of the species, or what other areas outside the site that is currently occupied, may be essential for the conservation of the species. The Service seeks data and comments from the public on this proposed listing rule and whether the designation of critical habitat for the species is prudent and determinable.

EPA issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register of July 12, 2011, concerning a proposed significant new use rule (SNUR) under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 14 glymes. Since publication, EPA has received a request for additional time to submit comments. This document extends the comment period for 30 days, from September 12, 2011 to October 12, 2011.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500-1508), and Executive Order 12114, the Department of the Navy (DoN) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (OEIS) to evaluate the potential environmental effects associated with maintaining military readiness training and research, development, testing, and evaluation (hereafter referred to as ``training and testing'') activities conducted in the Mariana Islands Training and Testing (MITT) EIS/OEIS Study Area. The MITT Study Area includes the existing Mariana Islands Range Complex (MIRC), additional areas on the high seas, and a general transit corridor between Hawaii to MITT where training and testing activities may occur. The MIRC is the only major Navy range complex in the Study Area. The DoN is preparing this EIS/OEIS to renew current regulatory permits and authorizations, address current training and testing not covered under existing permits and authorizations, and to obtain those permits and authorizations necessary to support force structure changes and emerging and future training and testing requirements including those associated with new platforms and weapons systems within the MITT Study Area, starting in 2015, thereby ensuring critical Department of Defense (DoD) requirements are met. The DoN will invite the National Marine Fisheries Service, United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service (Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office), and U.S. Air Force, to be cooperating agencies in preparation of the EIS/OEIS.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the name of an individual whose property and interests in property have been unblocked pursuant to Executive Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, ``Blocking Property of the Former Iraqi Regime, Its Senior Officials and Their Family Members, and Taking Certain Other Actions,'' as amended by Executive Order 13350 of July 30, 2004.

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the Department of the Treasury, Departmental Offices gives notice of a proposed system of records entitled, ``Treasury 013 Department of the Treasury Civil Rights Complaints and Compliance Review Files.''

EPA is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from expandable polystyrene product manufacturing operations. We are approving a local rule that regulates these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (CAA).

EPA is proposing to approve a revision to the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This revision concerns volatile organic compound emissions from expandable polystyrene product manufacturing operations. We are proposing to approve a local rule to regulate these emission sources under the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990.

A public meeting of the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Groundfish Subcommittee will be held to review at least two new assessments of west coast groundfish species and new rebuilding analyses for seven west coast groundfish species. This meeting is a work session which is open to the public.

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

The purpose of this notice is to announce a series of public listening sessions and workshops regarding the expansion of the Panama Canal and the America's Marine Highway Program. The meetings are being held to provide a forum for maritime industry stakeholders and the general public to present their views and concerns on critical issues that the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD) should consider in the development of its comprehensive study of the 2014 Panama Canal Expansion project and during its efforts to explore opportunities to incorporate America's Marine Highways into the National Transportation System. These meetings will be identical in terms of agenda and purpose; they are being held in different locations (San Francisco, CA and New York, NY) to maximize nationwide stakeholder participation. MARAD's study of the Panama Canal Expansion will evaluate the potential impacts of the expansion on U.S. ports and infrastructure. The study is being conducted in four defined phases that are designed to present considerations for policy, investment, and funding options as well as recommendations for policy changes that will favorably impact the overall shift in the Nation's trade patterns. Phase I of the study will include an examination of the history and development of the Panama Canal Expansion process and will present current data and information on Panama Canal's role in the U.S. trade market with the rest of the world. Phase II of the study will involve a more comprehensive data gathering and outreach effort that will include the subject stakeholder listening sessions, dissemination of a shipper survey, and one-on-one interviews with targeted maritime stakeholder groups. The final Phases of the study (Phase III and Phase IV) will involve identification of potential infrastructure expansion opportunities and development of a framework for which the U.S. Government may leverage the Panama Canal Expansion effort to optimize financial investments in U.S. ports and inland infrastructure. Expansion of the Panama Canal will require new capital investments in transportation infrastructure by both the private and public sectors. The size, location and timing of these investments will depend on how various stakeholders believe that global trade patterns, vessel operations, import and export flows, logistics support systems and port and land-side capacity will be re-configured to accommodate the larger vessels and increased capacity of the Panama Canal in a post-2014 operating environment. A wide variety of stakeholders may be potentially affected by decisions and policies that will be implemented by the U.S. Department of Transportation and MARAD as a result of this study. Each stakeholder has a particular set of perspectives and a highly unique set of information upon which they will base their own investment and operational responses to the Panama Canal Expansion. Moreover, there is a wide diversity of opinion on which ports, trade lanes, landside infrastructure and commodities will be affected by the expansion. Accordingly, stakeholder participation in the subject listening sessions and workshops is an essential part of the overall data collection and analysis effort for the study and will help support the agency's efforts to expand the use of America's Marine Highways. Discussion topics for the Panama Canal Expansion Study Listening Sessions will include: Impacts on the U.S. economy, trade patterns post-expansion, anticipated effects on East/West/Gulf Coasts and Inland ports, infrastructure development, and future bottlenecks as well as other related issues. Topics of discussions relating to the America's Marine Highways will include: corridors, connections and crossings, program projects and initiatives, intermodal connectivity, and public/ private partnerships.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The nature of the information collection is described as well as its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on June 15, 2010. No comments were received.